For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes….
— Romans 1:16
A woman was preparing a pasta dish for a dinner party she was giving. In her haste, however, she forgot to refrigerate the spaghetti sauce, and it sat on the counter all day. She was worried about spoilage, but it was too late to cook up another batch. So she called the local Poison Control Center and voiced her concern. They advised her to simply boil the sauce again.
That night after everyone had eaten, the phone rang and one guest volunteered to answer it. Her face dropped as she called out to the hostess, “It’s the Poison Control Center. They want to know how the spaghetti sauce turned out.”
We’ve all had those moments—those times when we just want to crawl in a hole so we don’t have to face embarrassment. It can even happen when people find out you’re a Christian, and you suddenly feel like all eyes are on you as the radical moralist who’s judging everyone.
But the truth is, whether they voice it or not, most people are going to respect your convictions as long as you stay committed to them. So wear the banner of Christ with pride, holding fast to your spiritual convictions and living out your faith in an authentic way. When you do, you won’t have to worry about embarrassment because you’ll know you’re living for the truth.
Prayer Challenge
Ask God to give you the confidence to live out your faith authentically in front of others.
Questions for Thought
Think of a time when someone found out you were a Christian and it caused awkwardness. Why do you think that was?
How could living out your faith authentically—aligning what you say and what you do—make others more receptive to hearing about your faith?